ANGEL BU Means GLAUBEN
by Lizzi0307
Summary: Hogan receives Rike   aka Rebecca   Herz's letter.  Written by reader suggestion from Snooky-9093's "Letters" story.  Please read chapter 7 of her story first for this story to make sense.
1. Chapter 1

_Thanks to everyone who commented on my contribution to Snooky-9093's Letters Story. I am deeply touched. That letter has a special place in my heart. I also want to thank Snooky for letting me participate in her story. This story (below) was inspired by the comments from Snooky's Letters. If you have not read it (you should! :D ) please read chapter 7 (and all the other chapters too!) for this story to make sense. _

_I do not own the original Letters' idea. Or O'Brian, both are Snooky's creation. I also do not own Ein Käfig voller Helden, aka Hogan's Heroes, though it would be really cool if I did. _

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**ANGEL BU Means GLAUBEN**

"_Die größten Menschen sind diejenigen, die anderen Hoffnung geben können." __(The greatest people are those, who can give hope to anothers.)  
__Zitat von: Sean Saures_

Hogan sat down the letter he was reading with a thump. Starring at nothing, he bit his lower lip. He wished there was more information in the letter, but the censors had seen to that. Sighing he picked up his pencil and began to write back to Rike, pausing a moment as his thoughts wondered to where her family could be at. _They could be anywhere. They may not even been in Germany anymore, this letter is_, he looked at the date, _a month old. _Hogan continued to write his response, feeling strangely attached to the future of this child he had never, nor ever would meet. _There must be something I could do._ He slowly dotted his "i" as his mind wondered. Setting down his pencil, Hogan tried to concentrate on his response, but his mind wondered from how to rescue her family to his own childhood back in the United States. He smiled at the thought of playing with his dog in his bedroom as he spread his arms out and pretended to fly, pictures of the Wright Brothers' Airplanes glued onto his walls, Bruno happily barking at his heels, before grabbing a sword and running outside to play knight. Hogan was quickly brought back to his senses when Kinch knocked at his door.

"Colonel...?"

"Hm? Oh, Kinch, come-in, I'm just finishing up another response. Seems like the 100th one I've done today." Hogan smiled as he turned his chair towards Kinch. Kinch raised his eyebrows but said nothing as this was only the second letter his CO had read.

"Sir, the Underground is requesting that we hold off for a while since there is some snooping going on by Berlin."

"'Snooping' eh?" Hogan nodded and tried to focus on coming up with a plan on how to catch the spies, but his mind was still stuck on the letter.

"Colonel, with your permission I would like to give them the confirmation that we will hold off for a few days until this blows over."

"Hm? Oh yes, of course Kinch." Hogan answered absent mindedly as he leaned back a moment and starred unfocused at the ceiling as Kinch started to leave. "Hey Kinch?"

"Yes, Colonel?"

"When you talk to the Underground, see if you can find out about a girl named Rike Herz and her family. She has escaped to the States, but I wanna find out more about her family." Hogan leaned forward and watched as Kinch's expression went from understanding to downright scepticism. Kinch held his tongue on his first thought of questioning his CO's sanity, and instead asked for some more information on this seemingly impossible task.

"Um, do you know what city she is from, Colonel?"

"No."

"Do you know the names of the other family members?"

"No."

"Do you know anymore information?"

"No." Hogan pinched the bridge of his nose as he began to realize how ridiculous the request sounded.

"Umm…al…alright Sir. I will, uh, do my best…" Kinch opened the door.

"Kinch…. wait."

"Yes, Colonel?" Kinch turned back towards Hogan.

"Ask O'Brian for the information of the school teacher, and then get Rike's, or rather Rebecca's, information from there. Keep everything quiet. This is not to be spread around, I don't want it getting back to the teacher or her students about what we are doing."

"Of course, Colonel." Kinch closed the door quietly as Hogan turned his chair around. Hogan starred down again at the letter wondering about the girl he was writing to. _Is there really a chance I will be able to find her family? I know Newkirk would say that it's impossible to help every single person on this continent…. but she's so young, and innocent in all of this. She shouldn't have to suffer simply because a madman took over her country. _Hogan held up the letter shaking his head sadly as he eyed the child's handwriting, feeling almost as he was looking at her face. _Rike, darling, I will do everything I can to see that you see your family again. No child should ever suffer and lose hope such as you have. _Hogan picked up his pencil again and began to pour his heart into his response.


	2. Chapter 2

Rebecca Herz, formally Rike Herz, drug her feet slowly along the sidewalk as she was in no hurry to get home. She thought back to the letter she sent the prisoners in Germany, her teacher was expecting a response any week now, having explained it takes a long time to travel there, get through inspection, and back again. Rike wondered who got her letter, regretting even writing it. _They probably think I am a horrible person being a German who moved to the United States, just like a lot of the people I run into on the streets. The only friends I have now are those of Japanese decent and a few others who are able to look past my heritage._ Rike wiped a tear away, and sucked a bit on her finger where she poked it with a needle while making the prisoners blankets. _I _hate_ this war!_ Rike silently cried as she kicked a rock with her shoe. _I didn't do anything wrong! And yet _I_ was the one who had to leave _my _home and everyone I love!_ Rike kicked another rock harder, watching it fly and hit a fence down the street. She thought of her Japanese friends. A lot of them were suffering too, especially the ones with family in Japan. Rike wiped her nose on her sleeve. _I would give _anything_ to see my family again. I wish I could be big and strong and fly into Germany and end this war for everyone! Or that my family could escape somehow! That someone could help them! It's just not fair that only __Sara__, Jan, and I were able to get out! _Rike sighed upset as she stopped at looked up at the door that entered the tiny flat-building. _I wish more than anything that these stairs could transport me back home and all my family would be there just like they used to. But dreams are for fools, and war is reality. _

Rike sighed again as she wiped the tears from her eyes. It had been another very long, hard week. Slowly climbing up, she reached the top floor where it was ice cold. Opening the door, the smell of her grandparents' Milchreis came immediately flooding out. Rike's eyes closed as he took in the smell, bringing her right back to family gatherings at her Grandma's kitchen.

"Sara! Sara! Ich bin wieder zu Hause! _(I'm back home!)_" Rike called to her oldest sister, who had been taking the role of their mother, since their mother was still stuck in Germany.

„Na du Zwergin, - _(Hey Shorty,-)_" a male voice caused her to turn around.

"Friedl!" Rike screamed as she nearly knocked over her older brother. "Aber… aber… wie….? _(But… but… how…?)_" Rike clung onto her 16-year-old brother as he laughed, taking large steps down the tiny hall as she hung onto him dangling in midair, as if she let go he would disappear forever.

"Hallo meine Kleine, _(Hey sweetie,)_" an older female voice's made Rike's head turn. In the tiny living quarters sat her entire Family. Her Mother whipped away tears as she embraced her daughter, kissing her repeatedly on the head. There was her Father, Mother, her three brothers, her two sisters, two of her grandparents, and one uncle and aunt, and cousin all sitting together again in the tiny room. Rike looked down as even her cat, Uschi, rubbed her legs. Rike picked her up cuddling her closely.

"Ich… ich…. verstehe doch nicht. Aber es freut mich sehr, euch zu sehen! _(I… I… don't understand. But I am so glad to see all of you!)_" Rike put down Uschi and ran to give each family member a hug. „Aber... wo is Onkel Karl, und Onkel Thiemo, Tante Hannah, und-? _(But… where is Uncle Karl, and Uncle Thiemo, Aunt Hannah, and-?)_" Her father got a sad look on his face.

„Sie... sie könnten nicht kommen... _(They... they couldn't come...)_" He looked away as his eyes slightly glistened. Rike nodded understanding.

"Aber…. die Sara hat mir gesagt, dass ihr nicht aus Deutschland fliegen könntet! Weil du Vati, und der Onkel Christian politische Häftlinge wart, und der Friedl und die Anke waren im Gefängnis, weil sie im Untergrund waren, und Hans müsste in die Wehrmacht, Mutter hat untergetaucht, und so weiter... und, und, und, und ob ihr gggeeeeffflohen siiiind, dann... dann... wwwüüürde- _(But... Sara told me, that all of you couldn't escape from Germany! Because you Daddy, and Uncle Christian were political Prisoners, and Friedl and Anke were in Prison because they were with the Underground, and Hans was forced into the Military, Mummy was in hiding, and so on…. And, and, and, and, and if you eeeeescaped, then… then... wwwwooooould-)_" Rike's voice started to break.

„Das stimmt, Rikechen. (1) Aber, _(That's true, Rikechen. __But,)_" the grandmother of Rike stepped forward. "gab's 'nen Mann, der uns geholfen hat. Ohne ihn, könnten wir niemals in Sicherheit fliehen. _(there was a man, who helped us. Without him, we could have never escaped in safety.)_"

„Gott sei Dank, dass ihr ihn gefunden hat! _(Thank Heavens that you found him!)_" Rike hugged her Grandma through blinded eyes full of tears. „Wie heißt er? _(What was his name?)_"

„Tja, Liebling, das ist genau, was richtig fremd ist. Er hat _uns_ gefunden. Ist komisch. _(Well, sweetie, that's exactly what's truly strange. He found _us._ It's strange.)_" Her Grandma shooked her head still confused yet beyond thankful at the strange series of events. "Und na Rikechen, er hat niemals seinen Name gesagt, weil es zu gefährlich war. (_And, well, Rikechen, he never told us his name, as it was too dangerous.)_" She rubbed Rike's back warmly.

„Schade. Er war wirklich ein Held. _(Too bad. He was really a hero.)_" Rike's cheecks were stained with tears of happiness at seeing her family alive and well in the same room with her.

"Doch, vor er weg ging, sagte er ' angel bu (2) meint glauben'. _(However, before he left, he said, 'angel bu' means 'believe.')_" Rike's oldest brother, Hans shrugged and smiled. Rike looked at him strangely.

„Ich versteh nicht... _(I don't get it.)_"

„Ich auch nicht. _(Me either.)_" The family was quiet a moment as they took the moment in, before Rike spoke up again.

„Ähm... ne Frage. Weil es so viele von uns gerade gib'... wo schlafen wir eigentlich? _(Umm… one question. Because there are so many of us now… where exactly are we gonna sleep?)_" Rike laughed as the others joined in and her siblings hit her with their jackets.

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_(1) "–chen" is a suffix that means little. It is often added to girls' names when they are children, much like the Japanese –chan (-__ちゃん__) or (-__くん__) for boys. The suffix means "little", one can also use "-lein". So Rikechen means "Little Rike"_

_(2) If you remember from the original letter, "ANGEL BU" was an anagram for "GLAUBEN", which means "BELIEVE"_


	3. Chapter 3

Rike looked at the letter shaking in her hand. She had completely forgotten about the letter to the prisoners. Since her family had arrived, the world seemed suddenly not as evil, and she was even cheerful, as the war now seemed far away. Yet with this letter in her hand, the war suddenly felt as if it dropped right back on top of her again, squeezing her and sucking her life slowly out. Taking a deep breath, afraid of what it would say, she pulled it out, immediately noticing the blue marks from the censurer.

Her eyes read over it once quickly as she simply tried to see what she understood, and then she read it a second time slower, trying to get the majority of the content. Then again a third time extremely slowly, as she asked her neighbour for help.

"Wow Rebecca! Yours is from a Colonel! Mine's just from some Private. You're lucky. Even Nicky got someone more fun, he got a French guy!" Her neighbour suddenly pointed at the bottom of the letter. "Hey wait a minute, look at that. That's weird. 'ANGEL BU'. I wonder what that means." Her neighbour watched as Rike's eyes widened as she stared. "What do you think that means? Hey I wonder if it's a code or something! Umm… 'Angel'…. 'Angel'… maybe that is an airplane or… Rebecca, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nuhsing. I,… my,…. nuhsing." Rike turned and wiped a tear from her face with her sleeve. She refused to let her classmate see her cry, even if it was from joy. She didn't know how, but somehow that prisoner helped her family get out of Germany, and if it was the last thing she did she would thank him somehow for saving their lives, and making hers a little bit more bearable. Rike pulled out the blanket she'd been working on, and starting sewing the words ANGEL BU and AND KE (1) into it, as her neighbour stared at her.

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_(1) AND KE is an anagram for DANKE which means THANKS_


	4. Chapter 4

_I almost didn't write this final section, so I hope it turns out alright. Let me know what you think! :D_

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"Colonel?"

"Yes Kinch?" Hogan stood focused at his desk where he was starring over a map of the roads and bridges leading over the Fränkische Saale.

"We just got a shipment of blankets from that school O'Brian's friend works at." Kinch shifted his weight from foot to foot, as Hogan paused a moment and started to roll up the maps.

"Oh good. Set most of them aside for when our guests come through. A couple can go in the Infirma-"

"Colonel?"

"Yes Kinch?" Hogan turned towards his second in command, surprised at being interrupted.

"There is one for you."

"For me?" Hogan was slightly curious and amused. Chuckling to himself at what this blanket for him could possibly look like he followed Kinch out into the common room. There sitting on the table was indeed boxes of blankets. Each blanket had a letter associated with it, and one had Hogan's name on it.

Hogan opened the letter, reading it quickly. Setting it down, he looked at the blanket. Sewn in a fashion that would make Newkirk proud, was a beautiful checkerboard, Red, White, and Blue pattern quilt. Alternating on each square in gold letter were the words: ANGEL BU, and AND KE. Hogan licked his lips and tried to swallow. He was truly and deeply touched, having immediately figured out the coded message. Kinch didn't miss the look in his CO's eyes.

"Why don't you keep that one in your room, Colonel. You don't have the stove, it gets awfully cold in there, you could use another blanket."

"Thanks Kinch. I… I think I will." Hogan picked up the blanket and the letter moving on autopilot to his room. Once inside with the door shut, he tacked the letter up on his wall next to his pictures of home, and spread the blanket out across his bed, giving it a cosy look. _It's not home, but then again, home is what you make it. You can be miserable, or happy, and while I'm in a miserable situation, I choose to be happy. _Hogan and Rike realised mutually an ocean apart. Hogan smiled, and sat down on his new blanket and began to write an overdue letter to his family.


End file.
